1 September

[Bullethead 12]

Today, 1 September 2010, is the 140th anniversary of the battle of Sedan, which set the stage for our favorite conflict, WW1. Regardless of your view of how things have turned out since, none of us would be playing OFF and talking about our mutual interests today without it. So here's to the fall of the 2nd Empire .

 

In that spirit, I offer the following piece of music, one of my all-time favorites. It was penned by a veteran of 1870-71 to welcome home the troops, and IMHO it is one of the best marches ever written. I have it on a CD in my fire engine and play it on the way home from successful operations to let my troops know I'm pleased with them. I give you "Preussens Gloria". This forum wouldn't be here but for the events it celebrates.

 

 

But let us not forget that the Franco-Prussian War started when it did on the off chance of the Spanish asking a junior Hohenzollern prince to be their king. But for that, despite Europe being primed for a Franco-German showdown, things doubtless would have played out differently. So, if you don't like the world today, blame the Spanish, not those who actually wanted to fight .

 

1 September is also the day Nazi Germany invaded Poland in 1939 to kick off WW2 in Europe, and also when Hurricane Gustav leveled my part of the world in 2008. Thus, 1 September is not just a good day for this forum, but a very bad day in the living memory of millions of others, not to mention all those who died in the Franco-Prussian War. So, the oracles are mixed. Best thing is to drink and be thankful that the Powers have taken this particular 1 September off, instead of lobbing a world-changing grenade into our midst

[CaptSopwith 26]

Today, 1 September 2010, is the 140th anniversary of the battle of Sedan, which set the stage for our favorite conflict, WW1. Regardless of your view of how things have turned out since, none of us would be playing OFF and talking about our mutual interests today without it. So here's to the fall of the 2nd Empire .

 

In that spirit, I offer the following piece of music, one of my all-time favorites. It was penned by a veteran of 1870-71 to welcome home the troops, and IMHO it is one of the best marches ever written. I have it on a CD in my fire engine and play it on the way home from successful operations to let my troops know I'm pleased with them. I give you "Preussens Gloria". This forum wouldn't be here but for the events it celebrates.

 

http://www.dailymoti...ns-gloria_music

 

But let us not forget that the Franco-Prussian War started when it did on the off chance of the Spanish asking a junior Hohenzollern prince to be their king. But for that, despite Europe being primed for a Franco-German showdown, things doubtless would have played out differently. So, if you don't like the world today, blame the Spanish, not those who actually wanted to fight .

 

1 September is also the day Nazi Germany invaded Poland in 1939 to kick off WW2 in Europe, and also when Hurricane Gustav leveled my part of the world in 2008. Thus, 1 September is not just a good day for this forum, but a very bad day in the living memory of millions of others, not to mention all those who died in the Franco-Prussian War. So, the oracles are mixed. Best thing is to drink and be thankful that the Powers have taken this particular 1 September off, instead of lobbing a world-changing grenade into our midst

 

Excellent history lesson BH! Greatly enjoyed it.

 

PS: Is it wrong that Preussens Gloria makes me feel like I'm back playing the Hell's Angels mod for Red Baron? I believe Otto included this march on some of the editions of his mod (or UOP if you really want to be old school about it).

 

Gads, seriously need to stop typing for one night...

[Hasse Wind 46]

Almost every politically and militarily important thing that happened in Europe in the late 19th century, including the Franco-Prussian war, can be explained with this one man:

 

 

[Olham 164]

Good historical lesson, Bullethead; thank you. Here is another Prussian march you might like.

The "7th Cavallery", which I like, is a bit similar. (In both, the beginning is the best IMHO).

 

Edited September 2, 2010 by Olham

[RAF_Louvert 101]

.

 

In my own little corner of the world on September 1st, 1894, the Great Hinckley Fire swept through the small Minnesota town of Hinckley, killing over 400 people and destroying an area of nearly 500 square miles before it was finally contained.

 

Excellent marches both, Bullethead and Olham.

 

Also, Hasse Wind, I prefer my bismarcks freshly baked, with white frosting on top.

.

[Von Paulus 8]

Almost every politically and militarily important thing that happened in Europe in the late 19th century, including the Franco-Prussian war, can be explained with this one man:

 

Ahhhh!, the realpolitik. For best and for worst a true statesman. Nowadays, we Europeans are in need of true statesman.

[Olham 164]

Also, Hasse Wind, I prefer my bismarcks freshly baked, with white frosting on top.

 

What the heck do you Americans regard as Bismarks??? Is that a donut?

[RAF_Louvert 101]

.

 

Yuppers, similar to what you might call a berliner, Olham. Which reminds me of John F. Kennedy's famous quote made in West Berlin on June 26, 1963, when he stated, “Ich bin ein Berliner”. He learned a short time later that could mean two very different things.

 

.

[Von Paulus 8]

I love berliners. Much better than bismarks.

[Olham 164]

Well, in Berlin, Kennedy's words did not sound funny, cause the Berliners call the "Berliner" a "Pfannkuchen".

Only all other Germans outside Berlin call them "Berliners", whilst for them, a Pfannkuchen" is a pancake,

a flat thing like an omelette. Dizzy?

 

PS: now you may ask, what the Berliners call a pancake - I admit, I don't know.

Edited September 2, 2010 by Olham

[RAF_Louvert 101]

.

 

mmmmmmmmmmmm...pancakes

 

or, in German

 

.

Edited September 2, 2010 by RAF_Louvert

[Olham 164]

Almost right, Lou. All subjects are written with a capital letter in German.

I know from my Donald Duck books, that pancakes seem to be something you eat for breakfast

in America? Tick, Trick and Track loved them, with sirup.

[RAF_Louvert 101]

.

 

Thanks Olham, I have corrected my faux pas. Now I can sleep tonight.

 

.

[Olham 164]

Yeah, it's hard to be like us "Korinthenkacker".

A German word for someone who always wants to get everything painstakingly exact.

You would say "nitpicker". Directly translated, it would mean "currant pooper".

Don't take it as an insult, please. I am much the same very often.

[Creaghorn 10]

Only all other Germans outside Berlin call them "Berliners", whilst for them, a Pfannkuchen" is a pancake,

 

PS: now you may ask, what the Berliners call a pancake - I admit, I don't know.

 

no way olham. in bavaria and frankonia nobody says berliner. and if so, he would earn a strange look. here it's called "krapfen"

[Olham 164]

in bavaria and frankonia nobody says berliner. and if so, he would earn a strange look. here it's called "krapfen"

 

There you see, Lou - it's even more complicated !

[Bullethead 12]

Hmm, the multi-quote thingy seems busted so I'll have to do this the hard way:

 

@Hasse: While Bismarck definitely had a lot to do with 19th Century events, don't forget several other key players. Besides the obvious suspect of Moltke the Great, there are also Napolean III who, although largely forgotten this side of the ocean, had important fingers in many pots. Also, King Vittorio Emanuele II, who caused as much commotion in Italy as Bismarck did in Germany. And don't forget the long string of Victorians who shaped much of the world outside Europe itself.

 

@Ohlam: Great music. It contains a snippet of "Preussens Gloria" towards the end--perhaps they were written by the same guy? I don't know for sure. The author of "Preussens Gloria" was named Piefke but the wiki doesn't list all his works. It does, however, mention that "Piefke" is "an unpleasant nickname for Germans in Austria", which provides a retrospective justification for this thread straying off into German names for various items.

 

So, what's "unpleansant" about "Piefke"? Does it have a specific definition, or are the Austrians just mad at him because he wrote the

to celebrate Prussia's victory over them?

 

@Lou: I just saw a History Channel show about that Hinckley Fire. Damn, what a mess! Glad I wasn't in the local fire department :).

[Creaghorn 10]

and in bavaria you say piefke (not so much use though) to small brats.

 

btw., germany is the only country i'm aware of, where you have in german news often subtitles when a german is talking, because the dialects are so various and extreme sometimes.

 

 

[Olham 164]

Piefke comes from old Slavonian and Polonian "piwo" (beer); old Polonian forms were Piwka and

Piwke for families, who had something to do with beer.

 

According to German Wikipedia, it seems really to come from the composer Johann Gottfried Piefke,

who composed the "Königgrätzer Marsch" for the celebration of the Prussian victory over Austria 1866.

The composer was present at the vicory parade and conducted the music himself.

He and his tall brother were marching at the head of the parade, and the Austrians shouted "The

Piefkes are coming!"

 

Among Piefke's works are „Preußens Gloria“, „Düppeler Schanzen-Marsch“ and the „Königgrätzer Marsch“.

The "Revue-Marsch" was composed by August Reckling.

 

Here is a big German Wikipedia list of marches, which you may not get in English:

 

http://de.wikipedia....emarschsammlung

Edited September 2, 2010 by Olham

[Cameljockey 3]

My big brother was born on September 1st.

[Dej 17]

Yeah, it's hard to be like us "Korinthenkacker".

A German word for someone who always wants to get everything painstakingly exact.

You would say "nitpicker". Directly translated, it would mean "currant pooper".

Don't take it as an insult, please. I am much the same very often.

 

That's why I love idioms in language... 'currant pooper'. What a splendid anal - ogy

[Hasse Wind 46]

In Finnish, there are at least two words for such a person, one of them rather rude. Pilkunviilaaja and pilkunnussija. Pilkun is the genitive form of pilkku (a comma or a dot), while viilaaja is harder to translate, but I guess in English it would somebody who fiddles, in the sense of adjusting something. So pilkunviilaaja would be somebody who adjusts dots or commas (ie. pays attention to insignicant things - nitpicks). However, pilkunnussija is the rude one. It means somebody who doesn't just adjust commas but f**** them. To be used only of really annoying nitpickers.

 

Ain't languages funny?

[Herr Prop-Wasche 7]

How do you f*** a comma?

[RAF_Louvert 101]

.

 

Start by bringing it flowers, then share a nice bottle of wine with it. And be sure you're punctual.

 

Now if it's a colon...well...that take's an entirely different approach.

 

.

[Olham 164]

Raaaahhhh - from 1 September to sex with commas in 24 posts! Raaaaahhhhh!!!!!!